Rating: R

"Jim, you've got to try this!"

Blair was sitting cross-legged on their bed, his laptop in front of him.

"Laughter is a great aerobic workout," he read aloud, "and it stimulates the release of 'feel good' hormones. It reduces stress and tension, and you must have heard the saying that 'laughter is the best medicine.'"

Jim lazily ran his hand over Blair's naked thigh. "From where I'm sitting, you feel pretty good yourself." He took Blair's hand and, his eyes on Blair's face, slowly sucked each of Blair's fingers, taking time to lick the skin between each one.

Blair swallowed. It was one of his buttons, having his fingers sucked and lightly bitten, and Jim was exceptionally good at doing it.

"You feel good too, my buff, bottom buddy," he said, huskily. "But listen..." He pulled himself out of the sexual daze with reluctance. "This is important. You stress out too much. Look at the way you grind those teeth. I worry about you. This could really help and it's something we won't get arrested for if we do it in public."

"No, we could just get locked up as crazy." Jim sat more fully up, pushing a pillow behind him to support his back. "So are we going to crack jokes all the time? I can't see that going down well at a murder scene."

"No, no I wouldn't suggest that... just... okay. I've read about classes where they start off by making the sounds of a train, the way children do to loosen your inhibitions..." His voice trailed off at the look on his lover's face. "Maybe not.... How about this one then, we can do it in the truck. Okay, clap your hands, like this, fingers hitting fingers, palms hitting palms."

Despite his incredulous glare, Jim began to clap in time with his lover.

"Good. Now we add a chant. Ho, ho, ho, ha, ha, ha. Ho, ho, ho, ha, ha, ha."

"Ho, ho, ho? What are you, Santa Claus?"

"Just try it."

Jim couldn't believe he was doing it, but, as he joined in, he began to smile, then snicker, and soon the loft was filled with the sound of off-beat clapping and belly laughs from both men.

Jim wiped eyes wet with laughter. "Okay, Chief, you got me with that one." He looked at his nicely relaxed and happy lover. "How about we see how energized our systems are? Maybe get a different aerobic exercise going?"

"I can do that. Turn over, tough guy."

Jim obliged, wiggling his ass, and jumped as the flat of Blair's hand landed square on that ass.

"Remember, Jim. Ho (slap) ho, (slap) ho, (slap) ha..."

"Why you little...."